2014 West Michigan Business Hall of Fame inductees named by Junior Achievement

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Donald Heeringa, chairman of Trendway Corp. of Holland, and Kevin Kabat, vice chairman and CEO of Fifth Third Bancorp., will be inducted into the West Michigan Business Hall of Fame, the Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes, Inc. (JA) announced Monday, April 28.

Heeringa and Kabat will be honored at the 25th annual Junior Achievement West Michigan Business Hall of Fame dinner and ceremony on May 29 at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

“From furniture to finances, each inductee has successfully demonstrated hard work and vision in their respective industries, and we’re thrilled to include them on our roster of West Michigan Business Hall of Fame Laureates.”

A lifelong Holland resident, Heeringa has presided over the growth of Trendway from a 13-man operation to a thriving office furniture manufacturer employing hundreds in the local community. Heeringa, his father George, and his brother Jim, purchased Trendway in 1973.

Heeringa has served as board member for many businesses and organizations, and received many awards and recognitions, including Michigan Small Business Person of the Year. Heeringa was a founding member of the Lakeshore Advantage economic development agency and West Michigan Works.

He also has been a leader in office furniture trade associations, testifying before Congress on the economic impact of Federal Prison Industries on office furniture manufacturers. Heeringa earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University.

Heeringa maintains a passion for collectible and custom cars. He has driven in the grueling La Carrera Pan American Road Race, a border-to-border sports car racing event on open roads in Mexico.

Kabat, a native of New York, came to West Michigan in 1982, when he was hired by Old Kent Bank & Trust Co. He was the vice chairman and president of Old Kent Bank, when it was acquired by Cincinnati, Ohio-based Fifth Third Bancorp in 2001.

He was promoted to president and CEO of Fifth Third Bancorp in April, 2007. Currently vice chairman and CEO of Fifth Third Bancorp, Kabat is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of Fifth Third, which has $130 billion in assets, nearly 21,000 employees and operates 17 affiliates in 12 states.

While in West Michigan, Kabat served as chair of the Junior Achievement board of directors among many other community involvement activities while in West Michigan. Kabat, 57, is a board member of Unum, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the Financial Services Roundtable and the Cincinnati Art Museum.

He is a member of the Ohio Business Roundtable, Cincinnati Business Committee and the Executive Committee of the ArtsWave Board of Trustees. He is a member of the Commonwealth Club, the Commercial Club, Cincinnati Country Club and the Queen City Club.

The Junior Achievement West Michigan Business Hall of Fame honors prominent business leaders who have made extraordinary contributions to West Michigan, earned the respect of the local community and called attention to the free enterprise system and its value to the area.